Japan

UPDATED: Japan ex-PM Abe dies after being shot while making a speech

NARA, Japan, July 8 (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the longest-serving leader of modern Japan, was gunned down on Friday while campaigning for a parliamentary election, shocking a country where…

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FACTBOX-Major episodes of violence against politicians in Japan

July 8 (Reuters) - Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, one of Japan's most influential politicians in modern times, died on Friday after being shot at a campaign event. The man who is…

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UPDATED: Fatal magnitude 6.1 quake on Iran Gulf coast, 5.9 earthquake strikes Japan’s Hokkaido region

At least five people were killed and 49 injured by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in southern Iran early on Saturday, state media reported, with the area also hit soon after…

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Japanese asked to save power as country’s east sizzles

TOKYO, July 1 (Reuters) - The highest temperatures for the season since record-keeping began have scorched much of eastern Japan for a week, prompting the government to ask citizens to cut power…

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Photo Story: Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition in Tokyo

A staff member attends the press preview of the 'Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli Exhibition' at Warehouse Terrada in Tokyo, Japan, 30 June 2022. The exhibition opens to the public…

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Japan’s June heatwave sizzles into hottest day, crunch time for power supply

TOKYO, June 29 (Reuters) - Japan braced on Wednesday for its hottest day yet of a record-breaking June heatwave as fears grew about a shortage of electricity to keep air conditioners whirring…

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Appeal to save energy as scorching summer heat batters Tokyo

YOKOHAMA, June 26 (Reuters) - The Japanese government warned on Sunday that electric power supplies would be strained in the Tokyo area on Monday, calling on people to save energy as scorching…

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Japan court rules ban on same-sex marriage constitutional

A Japanese court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is not unconstitutional. The Osaka court said that marriage was defined as being only between opposite genders and not enough…

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Earthquake jolts Ishikawa in central Japan – NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2 hit central Japan on Sunday, the national broadcaster NHK said. The epicentre of the earthquake was Ishikawa Prefecture, NHK…

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Japan runs biggest trade deficit in more than 8 years in May

TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japan ran its biggest single-month trade deficit in more than eight years in May as high commodity prices and declines in the yen swelled imports, clouding the…

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Study in Japan shows cats can remember names of their friends and owners

A new study carried out in Japan, showed that cats living in houses are actually able to recognise their first names and those of other felines, the study shows. They…

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Japan to ‘drastically strengthen’ military capability

TOKYO, May 27 (Reuters) - Japan aims to "drastically strengthen" its military capabilities, according to an economic policy draft seen by Reuters, as officials worry that Russia's invasion of Ukraine…

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With eye on China, and U.S. ties, Japan’s universities to screen foreigners

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - Japan is asking universities for greater scrutiny of foreign students and scholars to prevent technology leaks to places like China, partly for its own national security but…

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UPDATED: Biden says he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan

TOKYO, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, in a series of critical comments about China he made…

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In Japan, Biden to launch economic plan for region sceptical on benefits

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden headed to Japan on Sunday to launch a plan for greater U.S. economic engagement with the Indo-Pacific, facing criticism even before the programme is…

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Fukushima nuclear power plant water release plan given initial nod

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted an initial approval on Wednesday for a Tokyo Electric Power's (Tepco) plan for releasing water from the destroyed Fukushima…

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EU’s Michel, on Hiroshima visit, says global security is under threat

TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel who is visiting Japan's Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, on Friday said global security was under threat from…

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EU seeks bigger role in Asia’s ‘theatre of tensions’, agrees with Japan on Russia cooperation

TOKYO, May 12 (Reuters) - European Union leaders said on Thursday that the EU wants to become a bigger actor in Asia, which they termed a "theatre of tensions", as they warned…

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Ukraine plight could be replicated in East Asia, Japan’s Kishida warns

LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that the invasion of Ukraine could be replicated in East Asia if leading powers do not respond as one, saying peace and stability…

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Italy’s Draghi thanks Japan for redirecting LNG cargoes to Europe, Russia bars entry to Japanese PM

ROME, May 4 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi thanked Japan on Wednesday for redirecting liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes destined for third countries to Europe. Europe, which sources about 40%…

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Japan coast guard searching for missing sightseeing boat with 26 on board

TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - Japan's coast guard was searching off the northern island of Hokkaido after a sightseeing boat with 26 people on board went missing on Saturday, public broadcaster NHK…

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Japan to ban coal imports from Russia, announces additional sanctions

TOKYO, April 8 (Reuters) - Japan, the world's third-largest coal importer, said on Friday it will ban coal imports from Russia and impose a wide range of additional sanctions, including freezing the…

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Magnitude 4.7 shakes buildings in Tokyo briefly, no tsunami warning

TOKYO, March 31 (Reuters) - A magnitude 4.7 earthquake briefly shook buildings in Tokyo, although there appeared to be no immediate damage and no tsunami warning. The earthquake hit northwest…

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Russia conducts military drills on isles disputed with Japan

March 26 (Reuters) - Russia was conducting drills on islands claimed by Tokyo, Japanese media said on Saturday, days after Moscow halted peace talks with Japan because of its sanctions over Russia's…

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Japan imposes more sanctions on Russian officials, arms exporter

TOKYO, March 18 (Reuters) - Japan said on Friday it will impose sanctions on 15 Russian individuals and nine organisations, including defence officials and the state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport. The sanctions, which…

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UPDATED: Thousands of northeast Japan homes still without power after earthquake kills four

TOKYO, March 17 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Japanese households remained without power on Thursday morning, more than 10 hours after a powerful earthquake that left at least four dead and…

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Japan urges crypto firms to comply with sanctions against Russia and Belarus

TOKYO, March 14 (Reuters) - Japanese authorities ordered crypto exchanges on Monday not to process transactions involving crypto assets subject to asset-freeze sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.…

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Photo Story: Japan marks 11th anniversary of earthquake and tsunami

A woman offers a prayer on the 11th anniversary of Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami, in Tokyo, Japan, 11 March 2022. On 11 March 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered…

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Japan to freeze assets of 3 Belarusian banks, ban more exports to Russia

TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japan will freeze the assets of three Belarusian banks from April 10 following new sanctions against the country over its involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the…

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Japan’s JAL, ANA cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday

TOKYO, March 3 (Reuters) - Japan Airlines Co Ltd 9201.T and ANA Holdings Inc said they would cancel all flights to and from Europe on Thursday, citing safety concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The…

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Dozens in pacifist Japan volunteer to fight for Ukraine

TOKYO, March 2 (Reuters) - Keiichi Kurogi was one of dozens of men in Japan who offered to join an "international legion" to fight Russian invaders after Ukraine's President Volodymyr…

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North Korea fires possible ballistic missile- Japan and South Korea say – UPDATED

North Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile, Japan's coast guard said on Sunday, in what would be the first test since the nuclear-armed country conducted a record number…

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Japan’s serious COVID cases climb to 4-month high; record infections

TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Japan serious COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000 for the first time in four months, data showed on Friday, as the Omicron variant fuelled record infections and…

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Tokyo’s daily COVID-19 infections exceed 20,000 for first time

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Tokyo's new COVID-19 cases exceeded 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, dimming hopes that an Omicron-fueled wave of infections is peaking out in Japan.…

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U.S. condemns N.Korea missile launch, urges no more destabilising acts

SEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The United States condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and called on Pyongyang to refrain from further destabilising acts, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said…

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Japan’s Tepco hit by setback in clean-up of crippled Fukushima nuclear plant

TOKYO, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant has found that a coolant solution, used to create an ice wall halting the seepage of…

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Southern Japan earthquake injures 13, no tsunami warning

TOKYO (Reuters) -An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 jolted southwestern Japan early on Saturday morning, injuring 13 people, the authorities and local media said. No tsunami warning was issued…

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As Japan infections surge, so does risk of pandemic fatigue

TOKYO, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Japan on Friday acted to contain a record surge in COVID-19 cases with a return to curbs that have however shown diminishing results, while a…

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Japan set to widen COVID-19 curbs as Omicron drives record infections

TOKYO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Japan was poised on Wednesday to widen COVID-19 curbs to the capital, Tokyo, and a dozen regions covering half the population, as the Omicron variant…

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Okinawa, home to U.S. military bases, logs record COVID cases

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa reported record daily numbers of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Okinawa, which…

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Japanese students injured in stabbing during entrance exams

TOKYO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Several high school students sitting their university entrance exam in Tokyo were wounded on Saturday in an apparent knife attack, Japanese media said. Public broadcaster…

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Yen at its weakest in 50 years in real terms – J.P. Morgan

TOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The yen's real effective rate has tumbled to its lowest level in 50 years and the currency is set to fall even further, slashing Japanese…

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Tokyo shivers under unusually heavy snowfall

TOKYO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Japanese capital of Tokyo shivered under an unusually prolonged snowfall on Thursday, with heavy snow warnings issued for the city and surrounding areas for…

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Japan’s Okinawa sees doubling of COVID-19 cases, considers emergency steps

TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japan's Okinawa region emerged on Wednesday as the epicentre of a new coronavirus surge with cases more than doubling from the previous day and officials…

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Tokyo daily coronavirus cases hit 103, highest since Oct 8

TOKYO, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Daily coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit the highest since Oct. 8 at 103 cases on Monday, the Tokyo government said as more cases of the…

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At least 27 people feared dead in blaze at clinic in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) -At least 27 people were feared dead after a fire swept through a psychiatry clinic in the Japanese city of Osaka on Friday, and media said police were…

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Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes east of Tokyo

TOKYO, Dec 12 (Reuters) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of five struck eastern Japan on Sunday, public broadcaster NHK said. The epicentre of the earthquake was the southern…

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Japan to give massive tax breaks to companies that lift wages

TOKYO, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Japan will deny certain tax breaks to big companies that don't hike wages and boost deductions for those that do, as part of efforts to…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Osaka, Japan

An intersection in central Osaka is deserted in Osaka. Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu Via EPA-EFE/DAI KUROKAWAA

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Japan reports 3rd case of Omicron variant in traveller who had been in Italy

TOKYO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A man in his 30s who had been in Italy has tested positive for the Omicron COVID-19 variant in the third case to be found…

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Japan drops ban on inbound flight bookings after confusion

TOKYO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Japan reversed on Thursday a ban on new inbound flight reservations, revealing confusion between government agencies and the public over Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's strategy…

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Japan keen to speed up digital yen launch as China adds geopolitical twist

TOKYO, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Japan's new political leadership is calling on the country's financial bureaucrats to ramp up efforts toward issuing a digital currency, pointing to China's far quicker…

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Japan to supplement military spending in rush to bolster air and sea defences

Japan plans to add $6.75 billion to its already record annual military spending in a rush to bolster air and maritime defences as it becomes more concerned about threats posed…

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Photo Story: Tokyo lights up for Christmas amid new coronavirus restrictions

A young woman wearing protective face masks touches autumn coloured leaves during a Christmas illuminations event in Tokyo, Japan, 26 November 2021. On 26 November, Japan reported 121 new cases…

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Japan plans record extra defence spending as China threat eyed

TOKYO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Japan plans record defence spending in an extra budget expected to be announced along with an economic stimulus package on Friday as former prime minister…

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Japan looks to accept more foreigners in key policy shift

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - In a major shift for a country long closed to immigrants, Japan is looking to allow foreigners in certain blue-collar jobs to stay indefinitely starting…

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Japan’s ex-princess Mako, new husband depart for life in U.S.

TOKYO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Japan's ex-princess Mako, the emperor's niece, departed the country with her new husband on Sunday to start a new life in the United States. Known…

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